


Forget the invitations, floral arrangements and bread makers

by the_judgmentalist



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29347473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_judgmentalist/pseuds/the_judgmentalist
Summary: When they run into custody issues for Cassandra, the group puts their heads together to find the perfect solution. Will Dinah and Helena finally take the plunge?A fluffier than fluffy BoP wedding fic.
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Forget the invitations, floral arrangements and bread makers

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Marry Me Archie" by Alvvays.

Helena thought she would make it to space before she would ever get married. She had never even been to a wedding as an adult, and she hardly thought that a big mafia wedding like those she attended as a kid would fit her today. She remembered being strung up in some frilly torture device, sitting in a sweaty pew with her parents and watching as two people – likely arranged to be married – said their vows of unending love.

Suffice it to say, her opinions had changed. She was domesticated. She and Dinah had been dating for two years at that point, living together for almost as long. It wasn't like she saw marriage as the next hurdle to overcome. She would admit that her relationship with Dinah was progress, drawing her away from the feral child she'd been and forcing her to grow up. But that didn't make the next step feel like an obligation. If anything, she was entranced by the idea of publicly proclaiming her love for Dinah, the matching rings, the name changes, belonging to one another for the rest of time. When she looked at Dinah, she saw her future and her past in one. 

So she'd spent the last few months with this creeping daydream filling her brain, distracting her. She had looked at rings online, dreaming of slipping one on Dinah's finger. She had even looked up lesbian wedding blogs briefly before the cascades of white tulle made her feel dizzy. There was no way their wedding would be traditional. For one, they had no family other than found family. There was no obligation to throw a massive wedding. Who would they invite, the Riddler? Batman? All of Gotham's rogues gallery? If anything, Helena wanted the opposite of all that. That being said, she would walk down the aisle in the grandest church in Gotham if that's what Dinah wanted.

Before she had a chance to buy the ring or even run to Renee for advice, fate dealt her an ace.

Helena and Dinah were curled up on the couch together after dinner, Dinah's head buried in the crook of Helena's neck as they barely watched a movie on TV and made lazy conversation.

“What should we do for dinner tomorrow? It's my night to cook,” asked Dinah, pressing a kiss to the underside of Helena's jaw. Helena rolled her eyes with affection; Dinah rarely had plans for meals until it was time to start cooking, and more often that not they just ordered Thai food.

“Well I imagine we'll order carry-out then,” Helena joked. Dinah was grinning and digging teasing fingers into her ribcage when a knock came at the door. 

“Hey! It's Harley! Open up!”

Dinah rolled her eyes and moved off Helena long enough to open the door for their friend. Cassandra was by Harley's side as they entered the apartment. “What's up?” Helena asked from the couch. Cassandra looked upset. Helena scooted over so the kid could sit next to her, and handed her the remote to watch what she wanted.

“Can we talk in the kitchen?” asked a strangely subdued Harley. She was dressed in a ridiculously long white fur coat over top of a business suit straight out of the '80s, including giant shoulder pads and costume jewelry. It was Harley's camp expression of what other people might wear to look responsible. 

The three of them headed into the next room and Cass stayed on the couch, flipping the TV to Cartoon Network.

“Ok, spill. Why does that little girl look so sad?” Dinah asked when they were safely ensconced in the kitchen. 

Harley frowned. “Well, we just got back from a meeting with Cass's guidance counselor.”

“What'd she do now?” Helena asked with a smile.

“It's not her. There was a social worker there. Apparently they've figured out my papers – the ones that made me her guardian – are fake. They wanted to take Cass right then and there and throw her back into the system. I called in a Hail Mary from Renee and she came and used her copliness to convince them to let me take her home until I can get this sorted out.” Harley looked ashamed, a look they'd never seen on her.

“What are you going to do?” Dinah asked.

“I don't know if I can do anything. My record means I'm not exactly the right candidate to adopt her, Renee says.”

“Well, can Renee fill out the paperwork and we'll just fudge over the kid's living situation?” Dinah asked. “I mean, we already all raise her as a group, for the most part.”

Harley gave an uncharacteristic sheepish smile. “Yeah, Renee said she could try. Of course, as a single woman it's still hard to adopt.”

They were all silent for a beat, considering. Then, Harley said, “Or there is another option.” She looked at them pointedly.

“Us?!” asked Dinah, flabbergasted.

“It makes sense,” Helena finally spoke up. 

Dinah whirled around to look at her. “What do you mean it makes sense?”

“Well we have a stable living situation, we're a couple... neither of us have definitive criminal records. It makes sense.”

“Huh,” Dinah said. They fell quiet as they considered it.

“Please guys. We don't want Cass to go back into the foster care system,” said Harley. “And all you'd have to do is get married.”

“Married?!” Helena and Dinah both yelped.

“Yeah, it's hard for single people to adopt. Did you not hear me earlier? We gotta take care of this as fast and as air-tight as possible, y'know?”

Helena's face was as red as a lobster, and Dinah's eyes were wide as supper plates.

“Don't tell me you've never talked about it!” Harley said.

“We haven't... gotten there yet,” said Dinah. Helena's flush deepened. Dinah didn't know that she'd been thinking about it. More than thinking about it. Planning on it.

Helena steadied herself a bit, and decided to take this as the opportunity she needed rather than to fight fate. “We can talk about it though, right?” She nodded at Dinah, then at Harley, who was beaming. “I mean, it's for Cassandra.”

Dinah's eyes widened more and she did a slow nod, lips pursed, but she said nothing. Her eyes bore a hole into the floor. Harley sidled over and gave Dinah a one-armed hug, squeezing her shoulders tightly. Dinah finally flashed a terrified glance at Helena, who gave her a reassuring smile.

“Dinah, we can just talk about it. It's not a commitment. Let's weigh our options. Can we get back to you Harley?”

Harley dropped her arm from Dinah's shoulders and nodded. “Of course! They gave me 90 days to figure it out. Cass will be with me until then.”

Dinah just kept nodding, staring at the floor, a pretty blush gracing her cheeks. Helena wanted to scoop her up right then and there.

“Kid! Time to leave!” said Harley. The TV flicked off and Cassandra appeared in the kitchen. Helena offered her a hopeful smile, which wasn't returned.

“Is Dinah OK?” asked Cassandra. 

“She's just thinking about some things,” said Helena. She helped Cassandra back into her coat, then patted her on the back. “It'll be OK, kid.” Cassandra shrugged.

“Thanks, gals!” Said Harley, and she and Cassandra were gone, leaving Dinah and Helena lost in a loaded silence.

“D? You OK?” Dinah just nodded, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. “You don't seem OK.”

“It's just a lot,” said Dinah, finally breaking her silence. “A lot is riding on our choice, but it's a lifetime decision, you know?”

“I know. Have you really never thought about it?”

Dinah blushed. “Maybe a bit.”

Helena steeled herself with a big breath. “I've thought about it a lot,” she said.

“Getting married or marrying me specifically?” asked Dinah, a coy smile playing at the corners of her lips.

“I never thought I'd get married until I met you.”

Dinah swatted at her arm. “Charmer,” she said. Helena grabbed the hand that swatted her and pulled Dinah into a hug.

“Let's just think about it separately for the night and tomorrow maybe we can talk about it a bit more.”

Dinah pulled back a bit, then swooped back in with a kiss to Helena's lips. “OK,” she said when they detached. 

That night, neither of them slept very well. Helena had already made up her mind. She would ask Dinah to marry her. Dinah, tossing and turning next to her, was a bit more wary. Dinah's experience around marriage was perhaps more dramatic than Helena's. At least Helena's parents were together when they passed. Dinah's mother, however, was married four times before her young death. A never-ending carousel of stepdads, was Dinah's childhood. There was Bob, Steve, Kurt and Rick, all of them crashing into her life out of nowhere and leaving just as noisily. They fought with her mother, cheated on her, intimidated Dinah, and more. Dinah had come to associate marriage with tumult and nothing more. There wasn't a shred of happiness in her mother's marriages, other than her satisfaction at not being alone, which she rarely was. She flitted from one relationship to the next, and while she clung to the idea that marriage would one day work for her, Dinah's mom never found one true love.

Dinah always told herself that she would only get married one time, and that was it. It was important to her to make that choice carefully and considerately. While she and Helena were very close – she was her longest relationship to date, and the only one with whom she had cohabitated – there hadn't been enough time for Dinah to consider, carefully, if this was the one relationship for her, for the rest of her life. She suspected it could be, but she wasn't certain. Of course, she thought, if she wasn't certain about Helena, who would she ever be certain about? Maybe taking the leap was just that – a leap into the ether, a leap of faith. Maybe she couldn't be certain because so much of it had to be left up to chance. The challenge here was finding faith enough to take that leap with, and for, Helena. Maybe what she should learn from her mother's failed relationships was that when you were lucky enough to find someone you actually and truly loved, you should lock it down, not run from it.

Both of them eventually fell into fitful sleeps. Helena woke first. She grabbed her phone to check the time – 8:25 a.m. – and reached over to turn off their alarm clock, deciding to let Dinah sleep as long as she needed. Helena padded out to the kitchen, scrolling through her phone for the right number. Pulling it to her ear, she let it ring.

“Hello?” came a gruff voice.

“Renee?” Helena said. “I need your help.”

An hour later, Helena left a still-sleeping Dinah in bed and headed downtown. She had sent Renee a pin of the location and asked her to meet her there: a jewelers, the best in Gotham. Helena wasn't sure what Dinah wanted to do, but she wasn't going to go another day without being prepared with a ring.

Renee showed up with her sunglasses on, a massive cup of coffee in her right hand. “This is way too early, Killer,” she greeted Helena.

“I know, but I had to do it while Dinah was asleep. Thanks for meeting me.” Renee just nodded and they headed inside the jewelers. It was Antonia Jewels, which Helena knew because her dad always brought her mother gifts in velveteen, iconically jade-colored Antonia boxes. Only the best for Dinah.

“Ladies! Welcome!” exclaimed the employee behind the counter as a bell announced their entrance. He stopped wiping the glowing glass cases with a rag, which he stowed in his back pocket. “What can I do for you?”

“Engagement rings?” Asked Helena.

“Oh, is this the lucky lady?” He said, regarding Renee. She gave a deep, primal frown and Helena bleated a laugh. 

“Um, no. She's just a friend, helping me out,” said Helena.

“I see. Well,” he said, leading them to a corner of glass cases. “Here are our best engagement rings. Do you know her size?”

Helena had prepared for this. She reached into her pocket and took out one of Dinah's many rings. “Yeah, just match this,” she said, handing it to the gentleman.

He went into the back to size the ring and Helena peered into the glass, the case hot with fluorescent lighting as she leaned against it.

“It's a seven,” said the man, emerging from the back. Helena just nodded. “So we can size any of these rings to fit.”

Helena knew what she was looking for, for the most part. Something sizable, but vintage looking, not modern. Not a diamond, but something interesting. Maybe a sapphire. She wanted a ring that fit Dinah, that wouldn't wear Dinah. Nothing like a lifeless square diamond. She told the man as much.

He nodded sagely, and she felt Renee eyeing her. “That's surprisingly sweet,” she muttered into her coffee cup.

“How about these?” said the salesman, setting a small red velvet tray in front of Helena. There were sapphires and emeralds and chocolate diamonds in elaborate settings. Helena did her due diligence, picking up each and considering it. One ring caught her attention; it was exactly what she wanted. An oval sapphire set in a band that looked like curling silver ivy.

“This one,” she said. She held it out to the employee.

“Very good choice,” he said. They finished the transaction and soon Helena was standing on the corner outside, a heavy ring box in her left pocket. 

“So I'm guessing Harley got to you last night,” said Renee. She tipped the dregs of her coffee into her mouth and tossed the cup into a nearby trash can. 

Before Harley's visit, Helena had been contemplating talking to Renee about asking Dinah to marry her, so she decided to be honest in this moment.

“I've been thinking about it for a while, actually,” she admitted.

Renee nodded. “I figured as much since you knew exactly what you wanted in there,” she gestured towards Antonia's.

“It just feels like it's time. I love her so much, you know?”

“I can tell,” said Renee with a small smile. “She loves you too, y'know?”

“But will she say 'yes'? She looked super spooked last night.”

“Well, Killer, I can't say for sure, but I do know that she'd be stupid to pass up you and that ring.” Renee gave an awkward pat to Helena's back. “It'll turn out in your favor. I just feel it. It's not a typical scenario, but sometimes the best things come in odd packages.”

“I'll remember that,” said Helena.

They parted ways soon after and Helena headed back to the apartment, checking her pocket every so often to make sure the ring was still there.

Dinah was awake when she got back, sitting at the kitchen table scrolling her phone and drinking coffee. She was wearing her glasses, and Helena felt a swoop of attraction in her gut. She loved those dorky glasses.

“Hey, babe,” said Dinah when she came into the apartment. Helena swept over and gave her a kiss on the head, then stole into their bedroom to bury the ring in one of her dresser drawers. “Where have you been? What're you doing in there?”

“Just out. I'm not doing anything in here!” said Helena. “Changing.” She put on a different shirt so she wouldn't be caught in a lie.

“What should we do today?” Dinah asked when Helena re-entered the room. 

“Whatever you want to do,” said Helena. She was still distracted by thoughts of when and how she'd propose. Maybe she'd just bring up their predicament and go from there.

“I think I'm going to the gym first. Want to join?” Asked Dinah.

Helena considered it. It would definitely be a way to work off some steam, but she had so much thinking to do. “I think I'll pass. I didn't sleep well last night,” she said.

Dinah gave a nervous nod at the mention of the night before. “Me neither,” she said. “Hoping the workout wakes me up.”

Dinah left not long after, decked out in leggings and a sports bra. _Looking like a snack_ , Helena thought. She'd picked up the phrase from Cass.

The minute the door clicked shut, Helena was in their bedroom, pulling the ring out of its hiding spot and opening the box to look at it. It really was beautiful. Helena couldn't wait to give it to Dinah. _Maybe I should just go ahead and propose tonight. Take it off Dinah's plate_ , she thought. Maybe it was best to get it over with as soon as possible. But it wasn't something to hurry, she knew. Dinah deserved more. It did have to be soon, though. She wanted to have a better idea of where Dinah stood. Whatever she decided, she knew she wanted the proposal to be private. There would be no restaurant proclamations of love, no Jumbotron proposal at the Gotham Arena. Dinah always complained about such proposals. “Way to force someone's hand,” she said once when they had run into a flash mob proposal on a sunny day at the pier. So the proposal would most likely take place in their apartment, with no audience, just the two of them. It was more romantic that way, Helena thought.

So she could do it that night, in lieu of further discussion. Just pop the question, that's all. Or she could do it another day, after they had talked the issue to death. She pondered it, sitting on the couch with the ring in her hand, opening and closing the box distractedly.

Meanwhile, Dinah was at the gym doing pull-ups. She felt a fire under her ass, and was pushing herself harder than normal. After a horrible night of sleep, she was still no more certain about marriage. It sounded tantalizing, the thought of Helena belonging to her, and her belonging to Helena, officially and forever. She knew they both preferred things that were small and personal, neither of them being exhibitionists. It wouldn't be a big production, just their little family and a small city hall wedding, probably. Nothing to get worked up about, but also everything to get worked up about. It was a lifetime commitment, and to rush it seemed stupid. But they had 90 days, and she didn't want to lose Cassandra. But she also didn't want to hurry something so special and eternal. Still, her thoughts strayed to her mother. She never found real love. Dinah had real love. Instead of running from it, she should take advantage of it, right? Should trust in their connection. Should be completely ready to commit. As she did her final pull-up, she realized, maybe she could do it after all.

After a shower and a change of clothes, Dinah headed out of the gym, pulling her phone to her face as it rang.

“Renee?” she said when the other woman picked up.

“Dinah? I expected to hear from you today,” said Renee.

“Yeah, well. Want to meet up?” 

They met up at the corner diner across from the gym for a bite of lunch.

“So what's up?” Asked Renee as she slid into the booth opposite Dinah.

“I'm guessing you know what's up,” said Dinah.

“Yeah, I do. How are you feeling then?”

“Nervous. Scared. Elated. Everything.”

“I get that. You know, I almost asked Ellen to marry me on our one year anniversary.”

“What stopped you?”

“Well, on our anniversary I got really drunk, dropped the ring down a sewer grate and she broke up with me for the first time. We got back together but I never got the ring back.”

Dinah chuckled at the visual of the ring tumbling down into the sewer, and a distraught, drunk Renee grabbing for it. “What made you want to get married?” She asked.

“Well, I won't lie and say I didn't feel an obligation. Most lesbians mate fast and for life, you know. I felt the urge to merge. But I also loved her. I'd never loved anyone before like that and I felt like I needed to keep it safe. I was afraid nobody would ever feel like that about me again.”

Dinah nodded. She could potentially see some of Helena in that, feeling like she would never be loved. It hit her just how much this must be weighing on her girlfriend too. She had seemed calm and collected about it, but maybe she was freaking out too?

“Why didn't you ask her again?”

“I got scared. We broke up a lot after that, got back together again, rinse and repeat. The relationship didn't feel like a safe harbor anymore. Plus did I mention I never got the ring back? I couldn't afford another,” said Renee with a smirk.

“What made you sure you were ready?”

“I wasn't. I just knew what I wanted. I figured I'd get to the 'ready' part when the time came,” said Renee. “When you have something that precious, you don't want to lose it. Common sense goes out the window. You're just operating on emotion.”

Dinah nodded and took a sip of coffee. “So you're saying I'm overthinking it?”

“No. You're just being careful with something precious. But if there's one time to listen to emotion above all else, this is it. What does your heart say? Not your head, your heart.”

Dinah knew instinctually; her heart wanted Helena, wanted her forever. She blushed and looked down at her plate.

“I think you know exactly what you want,” said Renee. She took a massive bite of her sandwich.

Dinah didn't get home until about two in the afternoon, opening the door to find a snoozing Helena on the couch. Dinah dropped her gym bag off in their room, then headed to her sleeping girlfriend, lifting her legs gingerly, sitting down and draping them back over her lap. She squeezed a calf and Helena shifted, slowly waking up. “Hey,” she croaked. Her bleary eyes darted towards the coffee table before realizing she'd smartly stashed the ring back in her dresser before falling asleep. 

“Hey,” said Dinah. She leaned over for a kiss. “What have you been doing?”

“You're looking at it,” said Helena. She kissed Dinah again.

“Been thinking?” Asked Dinah when they broke apart. Helena nodded. “Me too.”

“Dare I ask what about?” Asked Helena.

“Don't you know?”

“I have an inkling.”

“We can't let Cass go back into the foster care system. She can't end up with some strangers who don't appreciate her. She's finally on the right track.”

“But?”

“Is there a but? Seems pretty black and white to me,” Dinah shrugged.

“There's always a choice,” said Helena, She swung her legs onto the floor, then patted her lap. Dinah got off the couch and settled back down, straddling Helena's thighs. Her arms wound around her girlfriend's neck and she nuzzled in.

“I don't want to feel forced into this. But that doesn't mean I don't want it,” said Dinah. “Don't think I don't want it.”

“That's good to hear,” said Helena. “I want it too.”

“So what are we saying?”

“We're just acknowledging where we're at. We still have 90 days to think about it,” said Helena, though her stomach swooped at the knowledge that Dinah was seriously considering marrying her. “Right?”

“I guess so,” said Dinah. She kissed her way up Helena's neck. “Let's not think for a bit.” She clamped her teeth over Helena's beating pulse and shifted onto her lap. She felt Helena's hands on her ass, squeezing and pulling her closer. 

Later that evening, Helena found herself once more considering the ring in her drawer. Dinah was taking her second shower of the day and Helena had used the opportunity to sneak the engagement ring out again. She couldn't wait to see it on Dinah's finger. But when?

She closed the box, shut the drawer and turned to leave the room. Just then, she spied something outside their window. A bird. Not just a bird, she realized as it opened its beak and let out a chirpy tune. A songbird. From the bathroom came Dinah's voice, singing a song Helena didn't recognize and joining the songbird in a duet. Taken aback, Helena sat heavily on their bed. Was it a sign? Just as she was wondering if she should marry Dinah, her songbird, this real songbird came to greet them with its tune? Helena didn't believe in God anymore, but she couldn't deny this serendipity. She went to the dresser and grabbed the ring, pocketing it in her joggers. The box stuck out obviously, so she removed the ring from it, stashed the box back in the drawer and slipped just the ring back into her pocket. Better. She was going to ask that night. She thought if she waited anymore, she would go insane.

Dinah emerged from the shower then, toweling water droplets from the ends of her hair. She gave Helena a quick kiss on the cheek as she passed, not noticing the pounding of her girlfriend's heart. The bird tweeted again from their windowsill, singing her little song. “Oh, that's so pretty!” Said Dinah, going to the window for a better look. “Did you hear this songbird, H? I love songbirds.”

“Mmhmm,” said Helena as she came up behind Dinah, wrapping her in her arms. “You're my songbird,” she said.

Dinah turned in her arms and scoffed. “You're cheesy,” she said, but landed a soft kiss on her lips anyway.

Helena let her go and went out to the kitchen to pull their carry-out menus. She figured that if she was going to propose, the least she could do was give Dinah the night off from cooking. 

“What do you want for dinner tonight?” She shouted back into the bedroom. Dinah emerged in sweats and a tank-top. “Thai? Italian?”

“Well I just had some Italian this afternoon,” said Dinah with a smirk.

“You had Italian for lunch? Without me?”

“No, stupid. You're the Italian I had some of.” Dinah laughed at Helena's blank expression.

“Oh! OK. Good one,” she finally said.

“What about Mexican?” Said Dinah. “I want some enchiladas.”

“Enchiladas it is,” said Helena. She surreptitiously slid her hand into her pocket to finger the ring again, constantly worried it would slip out without her noticing. 

Helena ordered food while Dinah poured them each a whiskey and Coke. They took their drinks into the living room and settled on the couch, Dinah grabbing the remote to pull up Netflix. As she selected a movie to watch, Helena kept touching the ring. She couldn't concentrate on anything. When would she do it? She decided it should be as much of a surprise as possible. She would make Dinah answer the door when their food came, maybe, then be ready with the ring when she turned around. It wasn't that romantic, but it was a surprise.

There came a knock at the door about a half-hour into their film. Dinah got up to grab their food from the delivery person. This was it. Helena was going to kneel behind her and surprise her. Maybe. Was this the right idea? She wasn't sure. She didn't want Dinah to drop the food, of course. She didn't want the food to get cold. She was so worried about the food that she missed her opportunity, though, and Dinah closed the door and deposited the paper sack on the coffee table before Helena had her chance. “I'll grab silverware,” said Dinah. Fuck, thought Helena. She would just have to do it later that night.

They ate in relative silence while the movie played on TV, Helena sweating not because of the spice but because of her nerves. She took a massive gulp of her drink to brace herself. “You OK?” Asked Dinah.

“Yeah, just spicy,” Helena deflected. 

“Well, drink some water, silly,” said Dinah. She got up to grab Helena a glass of it from the kitchen.

“You don't have to do that!” Said Helena. 

“Too late!” Dinah deposited the water next to Helena where she sat cross-legged at the coffee table.

“Thanks,” said Helena, turning pink. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” said Dinah, blushing a bit herself. She tore into an enchilada.

After their carry-out trash was cleared away, they came together on the couch once more. Their first film had finished, and Dinah was scrolling the titles on Netflix.

“Have you seen 'D.E.B.S.' before?” She asked Helena.

“No.”

“Oh, it's about lesbian assassins. You're going to love it.” She pressed play, then set the remote aside and curled into Helena on the couch.

They watched the film for about an hour, and if Dinah could feel the pounding of Helena's heart, she didn't say so. 

“Dinah?” Helena had to assuage this tension.

“Mmm?”

“Have you thought any more about our... predicament?”

“Well not since before dinner, but I guess I am now,” said Dinah. She leaned back to look up at Helena with a gentle smile.

Helena took a deep breath. “What if I don't want to wait 90 days?” She finally said.

Dinah was silent. “What are you saying?” She asked. Steeling herself, Helena slipped off the couch and onto one knee. “Oh fuck,” said Dinah. Helena pulled the ring out of her pocket and presented it.

“I'm sorry this isn't very romantic. But ever since this problem has been put on our plate, I can't help but think more about it. And I think it's a blessing. I've been considering it for a while and now is the time. I hope you feel the same way.” Dinah's eyes welled with tears. “Oh please don't cry! Don't cry!” Said Helena. Her free hand reached up to brush the tears away. “I don't want to make you sad.”

“You're going to have to say the words,” said Dinah.

“What?”

“What are you even asking right now? You haven't said it,” said Dinah, brushing a flood of new tears off of her cheeks. 

“Oh,” said Helena. She presented the ring again. “Will you marry me?”

Dinah just stared for a moment. Her mind should have been a mess, but instead she simply found clarity where she expected confusion. It said yes yes yes.

“Yes. Yes!” said Dinah finally. Helena pushed herself onto her haunches for a quick kiss, then slid the ring onto Dinah's left hand. Dinah finally got a good look at it. “Oh this is beautiful. Helena, you did a great job,” she said as her eyes traced the ring. She couldn't stop smiling. One look at Helena proved her to be in the same state. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” said Helena, getting up from the floor to join her girlfriend – her fiancee – on the couch. She grabbed her left hand and gave a kiss to her ring finger. Dinah was fully sobbing now. “I hope those are happy tears,” she said. Dinah gave a furious nod, swiping at her cheeks again. Helena got up and returned with a Kleenex. The moment Dinah's face was clear, she tackled Helena onto the couch.

“When are we going to tell everyone? We only have 90 days to plan,” said Dinah between kisses.

“Tomorrow? I'll cook?” 

“Sounds good to me, fiancee,” Dinah said with a grin.

The next day found them at the store, buying supplies for their dinner that night. Helena had decided to make homemade gnocchi, which was one of Dinah's favorites. Helena was picking out a good bunch of basil when she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Dinah admiring the new addition to her left hand.

“See something you like?” Asked Helena. Dinah jumped a bit, then looked up at her with a grin. 

“You did a really good job,” said Dinah. 

Helena grinned and picked out her basil. “Glad you like it.”

“I hate diamonds.”

“I figured that out. You're a sapphire in a sea of diamonds,” said Helena.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Dinah giggled.

Helena spent that afternoon peeling and boiling potatoes for the gnocchi while Dinah bopped around their apartment, singing and cleaning. Once it was spic and span, and the gnocchi was gently bubbling in the oven, Dinah and Helena sat at the kitchen table sharing a bottle of wine while they waited for their guests. Renee was the first to arrive, just after six.

“So what's the big deal?” Renee said by way of a greeting.

“You'll have to wait and see,” said Dinah.

“Well I see that enormous ring I helped Killer pick out on your finger so I think I got it pretty sorted, actually,” said Renee.

“She knew?” Dinah whirled on Helena.

“I needed some advice!” Helena defended herself.

“Mm-hmm. OK,” said Dinah with a sarcastic nod.

“Come on, you needed my advice too,” said Renee. “Or who did you think she had lunch with yesterday, Killer?”

Helena scoffed, looking at Dinah, who raised her hands in surrender. “Fair enough,” said Dinah.

They got Renee a glass of wine and they sat for a bit, waiting on the ever tardy Harley and Cassandra. Finally a booming knock came at the door. “POLICE!” the knocker yelled.

Dinah rolled her eyes and answered the door to find a grinning Harley and Cassandra. Harley handed over a giant bottle of shockingly expensive bourbon. Most likely she'd stolen it, but it signaled that Harley may have some idea of their announcement. 

“Thanks,” said Dinah as the two swept into the apartment. Harley was again wearing her enormous white fur coat, and Dinah took it from her and deposited it on their bed, along with Cassandra's hooded jacket. When she returned, they had already cracked open the bottle of bourbon and distributed drinks. 

“A toast!” said Renee. They all raised their glasses. “To our little lovebirds.” She winked at them. “Congratulations!”

“Wait, what?” Asked Harley.

“They're getting married...” said Renee, with “duh” in her voice.

“Just kidding. I figured that out already.” Harley shrieked with laughter. “Congrats you loons!”

Dinah rubbed at her right temple and downed her drink. How were these her friends?

“Let's eat,” said Helena. They sat around the table and together finished off the gnocchi. Helena poured them all another drink – except for Cass, who nursed a Coke – and they all went into the living room.

“So when's the big day?” Asked Renee, setting her glass down.

“We haven't really discussed that,” said Dinah. They had discussed a few things. Who would be invited (just their small inner circle), where they might want to do it (they were currently stuck between a city hall ceremony and a very small church ceremony). They knew they wanted to do it sooner rather than later, so they had time to petition for custody of Cassandra.

“Soon,” said Helena.

“Aw yeah, can't wait to get in each other's pants, huh?” Asked Harley.

“Harley, we've been living together for almost two years. I'd say the pants have been gotten into,” said Dinah.

“Oh-ho, yes. Saucy,” said Harley with wiggling eyebrows.

“OK then,” said Dinah.

“Anyway, we want all of you there. Yes, Harley, you can bring Ivy. Renee, if you want a plus one, that's fine too,” said Helena.

“I'll ask Ellen,” Renee answered. 

They spent the rest of the evening debating where to hold the ceremony, and what they would wear, and where they would party afterwards. At the end of it all, they were all pretty drunk, save Cass who had passed out in the lounge chair about half an hour before. 

“You guys want to stay here? We can pull out the couch,” Said Dinah.

“I think I'll get an Uber,” said Renee, pulling out her phone and fumbling with it.

“I guess we should stay since that one's already asleep,” said Harley, jerking her thumb at Cassandra. 

Helena and Dinah settled into bed that night, still a little tipsy, and continued their conversation. They hadn't really gleaned anything from the other two women, other than that Renee thought they should have a city hall wedding since neither were religious, and Harley wanted a blow-out party afterwards. 

“I guess I'll have to tell the guys back in Sicily,” said Helena. 

“They haven't even met me. Do you think they'll be weird about it?” Asked Dinah.

“They'll love you. And even if they didn't, it wouldn't change my mind.” She resolved to call them in the morning. “Maybe they'll want to fly in for it.”

Dinah gulped. She had always been a bit wary about meeting the three men who raised Helena. She knew her fiancee loved them but also that they had been rough on her. 

The next morning, they cooked breakfast side-by-side, fed Harley and Cassandra, then sent them on their way for the day. Once they were gone, Helena pulled her phone out and dialed Gianni's number. 

“Hello? Lena?” Answered Gianni after two rings. Helena had him on speakerphone.

“Hey, Gianni,” she replied.

“How are you? We haven't heard from you in a month,” he said with a bit of iron in his voice. Dinah flinched.

“I've been busy, I'm sorry. Are Pa and Sal around?” She asked.

“They're in the next room, hold on,” he said. “Pa! Sal!” they heard him shout.

“OK, they're here. So why did you decide to finally call?”

“Hey, Lena!” Sal greeted. Pa was typically silent.

“I have to tell you something. You guys know about Dinah, right? She's here.”

“Hi, guys,” said Dinah, sheepishly. 

“Hello, Dinah,” said Gianni. Sal echoed him and once more, Pa was silent.

“OK, well … we're getting married,” said Helena with an enormous grin at Dinah.

“You owe me $20, Gianni!” Sal yelled. 

“Sal bet me that you would get engaged. I said never, not my Lena. I'm glad I was wrong,” said Gianni. 

“Congratulations,” came Pa's quiet, gruff voice.

“Oh, Pa just left,” said Sal, having wrestled the phone away from Gianni. “I knew you would do it. Ever since you told us about Dinah, I've been waiting for this day.” _Sal, a romantic. Who knew?_ Thought Dinah.

“Would you like to come in for the wedding? It'll be soon,” asked Helena. “It's fine if not.”

“Well, Pa probably won't travel but maybe me and Gianni could be there,” said Sal. “We'll have to see.”

They exchanged some more pleasantries, and talked a bit of shop. Dinah twisted her new ring around her finger while they talked about Helena's new crossbow. Finally, the call ended.

“Do you think they'll come?” Asked Dinah once Helena had hung up.

“I don't know. You don't mind it, do you?”

“No. I'm a bit intimidated but I want you to be happy, fiancee.”

“Don't be intimidated. They're all big softies.”

“Yeah, big soft Sicilian assassins,” laughed Dinah.

“You know what I mean.”

They went and spread out on the couch, Dinah reading a magazine and Helena swiping through her phone. She held it up for Dinah to look at, displaying a picture from one of the lesbian wedding blogs Helena was now obsessed with. It was a woman in a nice navy blue suit, tailored perfectly, with a yellow pocket square to match the bouquet of the woman beside her. “Do you like this suit?” Asked Helena.

“You'd look like a snack in that,” said Dinah, and Helena grinned.

“Did you learn that from Cass too?”

“No, I'm hip to the slang naturally,” said Dinah with a teasing grin.

“We should really set a date,” said Helena after a while.

“OK. When do you want to get married?”

“In a month? I'd say tomorrow but that seems too soon,” said Helena.

“How about a month from Saturday? The twelfth?”

“OK, sounds good. Now where are we going to do it?”

“Good question. What do you think?”

“I think Renee's right. We aren't religious, why would we have a church wedding? Let's get it over with fast and then we can celebrate.”

“You think Pa and the rest would be fine without a Catholic service?”

“It's not up to them. We have to stay true to us,” said Helena. “What do you think?”

“Well my mom always had church weddings and it never worked out for her. So city hall sounds good.”

“OK, it's settled.” Helena pulled her phone out and shot off a text, first to Renee and Harley, then to Sal and Gianni, letting them know the solid plans. “Wow,” she said as she set her phone down. “One month and we'll be married.”

Dinah tossed her magazine onto the coffee table and slung her arms around Helena, pulling her in for a kiss. “Can't wait, future Mrs. Lance.”

“Oh my god, we haven't discussed names yet!” said Helena.

“Well obviously you're going to take my name,” Dinah joked. She didn't care either way.

“OK,” said Helena with a smile. “Sounds good to me. I can't use my real last name anyway. A new one sounds good. Nobody talks about the Lance massacre.”

“Wow, are you sure? That's a big step. We don't have to change names, you know?”

“I'm certain. We'll be Mrs. and Mrs. Lance.”

“OK, Mrs. Lance,” Dinah said, tugging Helena so their chests were flush. She kissed her, then leaned back. “Let's go to bed, Mrs. Lance.”

“You're not going to get sick of that are you?”

“I don't think so, Mrs. Lance.” She grinned and led Helena into their bedroom.

The next three weeks were a whirlwind of shopping for a suit and a dress, matching wedding bands, shoes and alcohol for their reception. They had decided to rent out the large gathering room at their favorite Italian restaurant and book a room at the attached motel so they could slink off drunk at the end of the night. They weren't planning on a honeymoon right away, preferring instead to stay in town and continue working towards Cassandra's custody case.

A week before the wedding, Harley came knocking frantically at the door. It swung open to reveal her and Cassandra with an overnight bag. “Hey,” said Harley, out of breath and barely stepping into their apartment. “Can Cass stay with you tonight? Ivy needs help with stealing some bio weapon from a lab across town.”

“Do we have a choice?” Dinah asked. She glanced at Cassandra. “Just kidding.”

“OK, I'll see you later kid!” Harley rushed off without another word. 

“How's it going, Cassandra?” Asked Helena, setting a hand on the kid's shoulder which was promptly shrugged off.

“Fine.”

“Well, we were about to order dinner. Do you like Thai food?”

They ate dinner in relative silence, a TV show Cassandra had chosen playing on in the background. After, Dinah made Cassandra some hot cocoa and they settled in for a movie. About halfway through, Dinah noticed that the kid had barely laughed or made a single peep the entire time. She grabbed the remote and paused the film. 

“Kid, are you OK?” Dinah asked. Cassandra just nodded from her perch in the lounger. “You know you can talk to us, right?” She nodded again. Unsatisfied with the response, Dinah turned the film back on.

About twenty minutes later, Cassandra decided to pipe up. “You guys aren't mad at me, are you?” She asked in the tiniest voice.

Helena paused the movie this time. “Why would we ever be mad at you?”

“Because I made you get engaged. You're getting married because of me. You know, it's fine if I go back into foster care. I can take care of myself.”

“That's not happening, and we didn't get engaged because of you,” said Dinah. “Right, H?”

“Right. I wanted to ask Dinah to marry me. I'd been thinking about it for months before. You just helped us take the plunge. We should thank you.”

“I made you rush it, though,” said Cassandra. “Now you have to have a small wedding right away.”

“Cass, we can't wait to be married. It's not all about you, OK?” Dinah teased. Helena shot her a grin.

“Yeah, I'm just trying to nail her down before she realizes she's too good for me,” joked Helena, earning her a swat from Dinah.

“So it's not my fault?” Asked Cassandra.

“No, and even if it was, we're happy about it, OK? So stop worrying,” Dinah said. Cassandra nodded and Dinah started the movie again.

Later that night, with Cassandra tucked up on the pull-out couch, Helena lay unsleeping. “Dinah, are you awake?”

“Mm-hmm,” came Dinah's groggy response. 

“You think Cassandra is OK?”

“Yep. Don't worry about it.”

Helena was silent for a bit. “Dinah? What if we kept Cassandra with us some, y'know, after?”

“I think that would be good for her, H,” murmured Dinah.

“We'll need another place, with two bedrooms,” said Helena.

“Then we'll find another place. Go to sleep,” said Dinah.

“OK, I'm going to start looking tomorrow,” said Helena.

“Mm-kay. Sleep.”

By the time Dinah woke up the next day, Helena had several new apartments pulled up on Zillow and at least three appointments to look at them later. 

“Are you serious? Already?” Asked Dinah.

“We can't waste time, we get married in less than a week,” said Helena.

“You really think we should move the week of our wedding? That's insane.”

“That's what movers are for, Dinah.”

“You're nuts,” said Dinah, but she went and looked at the apartments anyway. Shockingly, they fell in love with one of them, a spacious two-bedroom. The second bedroom was a big loft with its own spiral staircase, perfect for Cassandra to have some privacy. Dinah had to admit it was perfect, and they signed the lease that afternoon.

“This is still crazy to me,” said Dinah as she signed the papers. Helena just grinned at her.

They moved in three days later, just two days before the wedding. Helena was right; the movers did the most of it, including dragging a new bedroom suite and mattress up the spiral staircase to Cass's new loft. They hadn't told the girl yet, preferring to save it until after the wedding.

The day of the wedding came, finally. Helena decided to get ready at Renee's place to avoid seeing Dinah in her gown until the ceremony. Pa and the boys unfortunately couldn't make it in – something about someone who needed to be killed – so Cassandra had promised to FaceTime them during the wedding.

“Argh!” Helena yelped from Renee's bedroom. “Renee!”

“What?” The other woman rushed in like there was a fire.

“I can't fold this pocket square so it'll sit right,” Helena said.

“That's it? Here, let me,” Renee said, taking the fabric square and folding it so it curled elegantly up from Helena's breast pocket. “There.”

“Thanks, Mom,” said Helena, earning a sharp swat from the older woman. 

“You're really on one today, you know?”

“Renee, I'm getting married.”

“Oh right! Silly me,” said Renee, and eye-rolled her way out of the room.

An hour later and Helena stood in her suit next to Renee (also looking snazzy in a suit) and Ellen outside of city hall, waiting for Dinah, Harley, Ivy and Cassandra to show. Helena had surprised Dinah the night before with a rental for a vintage Jaguar, so she could roll up to the wedding in style. She saw the elegant car turn towards them and felt her heart leap up so it felt like it was suffocating her. She smoothed a hand down her throat and gulped. “You good, Killer?” Asked Renee.

“I'm good. Just nervous,” she said as the car pulled up to the curb, Harley behind the wheel. Helena went to the passenger side door and opened it to Dinah's loveliness – her slim white gown with lace accents, her bouquet of carnations, the pink matching Helena's pocket square. “Wow. You look gorgeous,” said Helena.

“So do you, Mrs. Lance,” said Dinah with her signature megawatt smile.

“Hey, not yet,” cautioned Helena with a grin. “Just wait, like, thirty more minutes and you can call me that.”

“Deal,” said Dinah. They joined Renee and Ellen on the curb and as soon as Harley, Ivy and Cassandra had finished parking the car, they all went inside. At the courthouse, they registered with the clerk and paid their $35 fee, dropping hands just long enough to sign the marriage license. Then they all piled into the waiting room, commandeering most of the chairs.

“Are you nervous?” Ellen asked Dinah.

“So nervous,” said Dinah. Helena squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. 

“I would be too,” said Ellen. In the corner, Ivy and Harley were canoodling and Cassandra had her phone out, having promised to photograph everything. 

“Hey, when are you two getting hitched?” Renee shouted over at Harley and Ivy. Harley turned as red as a clown nose and Ivy guffawed, but neither answered.

“Lance and Bertinelli?” Came a voice from the doorway.

“Here!” Helena raised her hand. She pulled Dinah up by the hand and hawkishly scanned the room to ensure their friends were standing and ready to go. 

The clerk gave them a once-over, then smiled. “Follow me, please.” They were led down a narrow hallway that jackknifed to the right and ended at the courtroom doors. “Right down there,” the clerk said, pointing them to a judge. Dinah and Helena strode towards the judge, their little family tailing them. 

The judge was a small bespectacled woman. “This the Bertinelli Lance party?” She asked.

“Yes,” said Dinah. 

“And who is your witness?” The judge asked.

“Me,” said Renee, lifting her hand in salute. 

“You two, approach the bench,” the judge gestured to Dinah and Helena, who shuffled nervously closer to the judge. “Join hands. Which of you is Dinah?” Dinah lifted her free hand. “Which makes you Helena,” confirmed the judge. “Dinah, repeat after me: I, Dinah Lance...”

“I, Dinah Lance...”

“Take thee, Helena Bertinelli...”

And the service continued as such until the judge announced, “I now pronounce you married. You may kiss.” The two could barely stop grinning long enough to press their lips together.

At the restaurant afterwards, Harley lifted a glass of champagne. “To the happy couple!” She said. They all lifted their glasses in agreement and drank. Harley tossed hers back and then threw the glass on the ground. “Now we party. Waiter? A round of tequila shots please?”

“Harley, this is an Italian restaurant not a taco bar,” said Dinah.

“Coming right up,” said the waiter.

“Fuck me,” said Dinah, burying her head in her hands. 

Helena looked up from twisting her new wedding band around her finger. “Not until later,” she said with a grin.

They did one round of tequila shots, then another. Cass still had Helena's Sicilian family on FaceTime. They did a third round of tequila shots. Harley pulled out a Bluetooth speaker from who knows where and put on her party playlist. Helena and Dinah danced in the middle of the room for their first dance, making Harley pause the booty jams long enough to play their song. A little after one in the morning, the newlyweds begged off to their hotel room, first making sure that everyone had a ride share home so as not to leave Cassandra with four drunk adults. 

In their hotel room, Helena and Dinah undressed and barely made it under the covers before they were asleep. 

In the morning, Dinah woke first, and decided to wake up her wife (!!!) with kisses.

“Morning, Mrs. Lance,” she said into Helena's skin.

“Back at you, Mrs. Lance,” a groggy Helena said. Dinah got to work sucking a hickey onto the side of her wife's jaw. “OK, I'm awake,” she groaned. Dinah sat up and pulled her tank top over her head, pulling another groan out of Helena, who soon found herself with a lap full of her new wife. They got to work making up for the previous night's inaction.

Later, they made their way home in the rented Jaguar and discussed having a house warming party for their new place. They would have to introduce it to the kid eventually. Dinah sent a text to the group, inviting them over the next night. She planned on spending the entire day in bed with her wife.

That next evening, they greeted guests at the front door of their new apartment. Renee brought them a doormat that said “Mrs. and Mrs.” Harley brought another enormous bottle of expensive bourbon she had again clearly stolen. Cassandra brought them a drawing of Bruce. “We'll have to frame that,” said Dinah, taking it from the kid. “Hey, you want to see something cool?” Cassandra nodded. “Come with me.”

Dinah and Helena led her up the spiral staircase to the new loft. “We figured if we're going to really do this, you'll need a place in our home. That's why we wanted to move into a new apartment,” said Helena. “Do you like it?” She and Dinah stood in the door, watching like proud parents as Cassandra explored the new room.

“This is dope,” said Cassandra. “I love it.” Dinah and Helena grinned and went in for a tandem hug, which Cassandra quickly dodged. “Maybe not that yet. But, if you buy me a PlayStation, we can talk about it.”

Dinah laughed. “What's a PlayStation?” Asked Helena.

“I'll explain it later,” said Dinah. They returned to their party, slinging drinks and canapes Helena had spent the better part of the day making.

“What are you going to do so we'll have an excuse to party next time?” Asked Harley. “Have a kid?”

Helena choked on her drink a bit. “No,” said Dinah. “It'll be your wedding to Ivy.” Harley threw an empty plastic shot glass at her for that one.

“Low blow, Lance,” said Harley.

“What? You're for sure getting married next,” Dinah joked (she didn't feel like it was much of a joke, actually). 

Later that night, Dinah and Helena sat side-by-side in their bed, scrolling through their phones. “We have to meet with the social worker this week,” said Helena, not looking up.

“Mm-hmm. What day?”

“Wednesday,” Helena said, finally looking up to see Dinah in her glasses. Helena reached over and grabbed her phone from her hands.

“Hey!” Said Dinah before Helena swept her up in a kiss.

“You look so good in those glasses, Mrs. Lance. I couldn't resist.”

“Well come back over and see if you can resist the rest,” said Dinah.

To provide the complete illusion that they were going to be Cassandra's full-time moms, they decided that the girl should move in as soon as possible. They hadn't really discussed how much time she would spend with them versus how much she would spend with Harley, but they could cross that bridge when it came. To that end, Cassandra moved her things in Tuesday with Harley's help. They hugged tightly at the door to the apartment.

“I'll miss Bruce so much. And you. I'll miss you too,” Cassandra said into Harley's shirt. 

Harley squeezed the kid tighter. “I know. He'll miss you too. I'll miss you more. But I'll know where you're at, right kid? You won't have a chance to miss me.”

“Hey, Cass. Want to watch a movie? Your choice,” said Dinah once Harley had left, hoping to distract the girl. Cassandra chose “Pulp Fiction” to watch. “Interesting choice,” said Dinah.

“I've never seen it,” enthused Helena.

After almost three hours of wondering if she was the reason Cassandra now knew the words “mother fucker,” the film was finally over and Dinah shooed the kid off to bed. They had a long one the next day, meeting up with Cassandra's social worker.

In bed, they quizzed each other on Cassandra's life facts – who her doctor was (she hadn't had one but Renee suggested a Dr. Caldwell and they had an appointment scheduled for the next week), what her blood type was (O negative), who her guidance counselor was (Ms. Davis), when her birthday was (December 12, 2005), how her grades were (not great in math, but decent in English) and the rest. They collapsed in a tired heap around midnight.

The next day, they picked Cassandra up from school in Dinah's car around three and headed downtown to meet the social worker. The ride was a squeeze, and Helena made it her personal mission to get Dinah a new, more spacious (and safer) car. They could share it. It's not like her motorcycle was exactly suited to school pick-up, though she was sure Cassandra would insist otherwise.

They parked once more at City Hall and walked across the street to Social Services. “What's your social worker's name again?” Helena asked. She knew it was Kerri, she was just nervous.

“Kerri,” said Cassandra. 

“Oh, right. Kerri,” Helena said. Dinah gave her an odd look. Helena just nodded at her.

“And my birthday is December 12,” Cassandra said.

“We know that one. You're just angling for a PlayStation again,” Dinah said.

“Still don't understand what that is,” said Helena. They had arrived at the social worker's office, and perched in the few chairs in the waiting area. 

“Hello!” Kerri greeted them from her office door. “I'm Kerri. You must be the Lances?”

“Yes, Dinah,” said Helena, pointing at her wife, “and Helena.”

“So nice to finally meet you. Come in!” They shuffled into the small office and into three smaller chairs. “So, ladies, I know you want to adopt Cassandra Cain, is that right?” They all three nodded. “And Cassandra, how do you feel about that?” Kerri asked.

“I'm stoked,” said Cassandra.

“Stoked?” Kerri asked.

“She's excited, right Cass?” Asked Dinah.

“Yes, excited is a better word,” Cassandra said stiffly, almost like she was reading from Helena's playbook.

“Cassandra tells me you've just recently gotten married. Don't you think it's a little early to adopt?”

“Well, see, we're orphans too. We wanted to take in a kid. It was part of the reason we got married,” Dinah said, only exaggerating the truth a little.

“I see. Well it should make this easier,” said Kerri. “I know Cassandra was previously housed with a Harley Quinn. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” said Dinah.

“And will she still be around?”

“She's a colleague so I can't say she won't be around. But Cass has a room with us now. She's staying with us full-time,” Dinah said.

“Good,” said Kerri. “And does Cassandra have a doctor? We'll have to do a physical before settling on any custody agreements.”

“Yes, a Dr. Caldwell. She has an appointment next week. Tuesday,” said Dinah. She was clinging to Helena's hand like a vice.

“Good,” said Kerri, shuffling some more papers. “I think that's all we need today. I'd like to schedule a house tour as soon as possible. Next Monday?”

“Next Monday sounds good. After school?” Dinah asked.

“Yes, around 4.” Kerri confirmed their address and let them leave. Dinah still didn't drop Helena's hand.

“Whew, right?” Said Cassandra, jogging ahead of them a bit.

“I can do the talking next time if you want,” said Helena. 

“Yeah, I think that sounds good,” said Dinah.

After a weekend of movies and carry-out in their new home with their new kid, Monday came calling. They sent Cassandra off to school on the school bus and waited around nervously all day, cleaning the apartment until it shone in every nook and cranny. Three-thirty rolled around and Cassandra came back. They forced her into her room to change before Kerri showed up. At four sharp, a knock came at the door. Helena bounded up to answer it.

“Hi, Kerri! Welcome,” she said, moving aside to let the woman in. 

“Hi, Kerri,” greeted Dinah, and behind her Cassandra gave a nod. 

“Hello, Mrs. and Mrs. Lance. Cassandra,” Kerri greeted with a smile. She was a nice enough lady, Helena thought.

“Where should we start?” Asked Helena.

“The kitchen?” Kerri said. She proceeded to search the apartment from top to bottom for drugs, for healthy food in the kitchen, for weapons (which Helena had thankfully taken to their warehouse earlier that week), for hidden sex dens, whatever. Helena and Dinah were at her side to answer any questions, and she asked a lot. Is this what the pantry normally looks like? Does the alcohol normally stay in a high cabinet? Is the spiral staircase safe? Are there any guns she should know about in the house? They dutifully answered every one of them.

As dinner approached, the investigation wound down. “Would you like to stay for dinner, Kerri?” Asked Helena. “I'm making caprese salad and pasta.”

“No, thank you. I'll leave you to it. How often would you say you make pasta? That can be fattening,” Kerri said.

Helena's eyes widened. “Pasta? I promise I don't make too much of it," she lied.

“Yeah, you caught us on a rare night,” said Dinah.

“Mm-hmm,” replied Kerri, who had certainly seen the boxes of pasta in their pantry.

When she finally left, Helena whirled on Dinah. “What the fuck is wrong with pasta?”

“Well it's a carb. Carbs can make you fat.”

“Pasta can make you fat?!” Helena said. 

“Well maybe not you, Lady Adonis, but for most people, yes.” Helena wasn't sure she bought it. 

Kerri had left them with a stack of paperwork to get through, and they sifted through it that night after she left. “There's a lot of red tape here,” said Dinah. “Shit.”

“I'll get my lawyer to look at it,” Helena said.

“I always forget you have a lawyer. I'm lucky you didn't have me sign a prenup,” Dinah said.

“I'd never do that,” Helena scoffed. Dinah knew it was true; Helena was too trusting for that. She prayed she never gave her a reason not to trust her.

So the rest of it went in a whirlwind of appointments with Helena's lawyer, Charlie; drop-in visits from Kerri here and there; doctor appointments for Cassandra; and all of the paperwork, the endless paperwork.

About three months into the fray, the clouds cleared away. There was to be a final hearing in the custody case of Cassandra Cain, and a judge would decide if she should stay with Helena and Dinah or be put back into the foster care system. It seemed crazy to even think about, for Helena, that someone would choose to put a child back into the system when a loving home existed, but crazier things had happened. She didn't want to count her chickens until they hatched. She and Dinah spent several restless nights poring over paperwork, going over their meetings with Charlie, going over their meetings with Kerri. They wanted to believe it would be called in their favor, but they just couldn't be sure.

Their day in court came. Helena chose a burgundy suit and Dinah a dress with burgundy flower accents. She had wanted them to look like a united front. Cassandra was even cajoled into wearing a burgundy sweater. “We look like a bunch of Mormons,” said Cassandra. Dinah pretended not to hear her, but Helena smirked.

They went to the courthouse and met Charlie there. Kerri was also there, and sat nearby them. “Good luck today,” she said. “I'm rooting for you.” That was a massive relief, thought Helena. Renee shuffled in just on time, and it was decided best that Harley stay home.

The judge commenced the session. He heard a few cases before theirs, and all but one was judged in favor of the adopting parents. It got their hopes up. Dinah reached over and squeezed Helena's hand as their name was called. They rose and approached the bench.

“For the adoption case of Cassandra Cain, I call on the testimony of Kerri Mahoney.” Kerri rose and joined the judge at the front of the court. She took a vow, then the judge grilled her about Cassandra's new life, about Helena and Dinah and their home. After he was satisfied, he dismissed her. He then called Cassandra to the front. She shyly took her vow then sat down.

“Now, Miss Cain, my question is simple. Do you want to live with the Lances?” The judge asked.

Cassandra nodded.

“Well, I'm satisfied. I rule in favor of Mrs. and Mrs. Lance,” said the judge.

Renee was the first to stand up and whoop. She opened her arms to a big hug from Cass. Helena and Dinah crowded in on either side, and their little group jumped up and down together in happiness. They left just before the judge could call for order in the court.

They all crowded into Renee's SUV and went downtown to meet Harley at a taco bar to celebrate. Helena, sat in the passenger's seat, looked in the rearview mirror and saw her whole world, Dinah and Cassandra, crowded around Dinah's phone, workshopping a celebratory Instagram post. She didn't need anything else.


End file.
